Roland and Pinkham toss shutouts for PSU Softball

FT. MYERS, Fla. - Sophomores
Kat Roland (Norton, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) and
Ashley Pinkham (Center Barnstead, N.H./Kingswood)
tossed back-to-back shutouts Friday as the Plymouth State
University softball team wrapped up the week with a pair of
victories in the annual Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.

The Panthers blanked the University of Wisconsin Superior 1-0 in
the opener, and downed St. Lawrence University 8-0 in the
nightcap. PSU pitchers have tossed three straight shutouts
and four in the last six games. After dropping its first two
games on the Florida trip, PSU has won eight straight contests and
returns to New England with an 8-2 record.

Roland scattered three hits and a walk for her second shutout of
the season in the first game, striking out six UW-Superior
batters. The Yellow Jackets had runners at third base in the
first and sixth innings but couldn't get them home.

The Panthers scored the only run of the game in the fourth inning
when freshman Andrea Pydynkowski (Danvers, Mass.)
and senior Ashley Fleming (Farmington, Conn.)
singled, and after an infield out, sophomore Jenna
George (Cumberland, R.I.) delivered a two-out RBI single.
Fleming finished with two hits in the game.

Pinkham allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two St.
Lawrence batters to record her first career shutout in the
nightcap. The Panther offense took advantage of several SLU
miscues to score eight runs on just six hits. Freshman
Melissa Caiazzo (Portland, Maine) went 3-for-5
with three runs batted in, and George was 1-for-2 with two walks
and three runs scored.

The Panthers return to New Hampshire this weekend and resume game
action next Saturday, Mar. 29, with the Little East Conference
opener at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (1:00 p.m.)